Blood tax

In the seemingly real light scattered by the low-hanging sky, the bloodstains and fear gradually dissolved and disappeared into this world of cyan, green and scarlet.

The clouds and mist floating in the false sky have made it difficult to tell whether they are condensation of water vapor or the tentacles of some unknown and huge existence extending into the world.

In the strange square filled with blood orchids, Erza raised her hands as if taking a leisurely stroll, and two blood spears appeared in her hands with splashes of blood. She flashed in place like a dance, setting off a blood-red whirlwind between the edges of the two holy swords of Griffith and Commodus.

At the same time, the leaping clones restrained a group of Extraordinaries. Two blood clones even passed through the gap between the melee Extraordinaries and attacked Aaron one after another. The blood spear was stained with frightening scarlet corruption, and even a small wound would cause a tragic infection.

Erza, who was polluted by the ancient gods, was a great threat to extraordinary people with spiritual specialties. Her body can fight Griffith and Commodus in a one-on-one battle, and even one of her remaining clones can defeat the Sequence Seven Beyonders. Even Aaron found it very difficult when faced with high-death and high-mobility clones. The top priority is to create space and distance for Aaron to safely cast spells...

Bursts of fierce and dazzling light shone in the air, and a bright golden ball of light rotated in Aaron's palm. Accompanied by an elusive chant, tiny scattered thunder and lightning kept jumping in the air.

"Om-!"

With a suppressed explosion, the invisible sound wave made everyone dizzy. Griffith felt as if someone had hit him with a stick on the back of his head. A loud noise suddenly appeared in his head, followed by continuous noise, making it difficult to concentrate.

Aaron couldn't care anymore. The sonic shock cleared all the clones and silenced all the extraordinary people present.

This blow even knocked back Erza's body for a short time. She suddenly stopped from the high-speed battle and froze in place.

"That's it now! She doesn't have a clone anymore!" Belia warned loudly, suppressing her dizziness.

Griffith raised his right hand, and the predator spider web shot out like a ball of light, spread out in the air, and turned into a fine web to cover it.

With Commodus on the side to restrain her, Erza was not able to dodge immediately. She was caught in the net on the spot and half-knelt on the ground.

No need to be reminded, Warlord Ekirum and Assassin Uros raised their hands and threw throwing axes and daggers. William, the commando shooter, was already ready to attack. He raised his heavy flintlock gun and shot Erza between the eyebrows.

"Bah!"

The projectile, which was enough to penetrate the chest armor, spattered a cloud of sparks and hit a nearby stone pillar diagonally. The two blood spears screamed through the air, sweeping through the sky like a crescent moon, knocking away the flying axes and daggers.

Erza didn't even bother to tear the cobweb apart, but pressed her wrist again, and the blood drops instantly gathered into two new clones to block the attack. A single move of the blood spear allowed her to easily break free from the restraints.

Everyone who had just breathed a sigh of relief was shocked.

"Holy light, is it so easy to create a clone of this strength?"

"Could it be that her spiritual power is unlimited? Even for a death knight, maintaining a clone is the limit!"

This is an enhanced blood clone, more powerful than Minos and the Death Knight... A chill arose in Griffith's heart.

Others were right, even if Erza's rank was greatly improved, her spiritual energy would not be able to support such consumption. Being so powerful means that she may have mutated into a being close to an ancient god, or...

An ancient god is providing energy to her!
  Will it be the first possibility? Erza's problem occurred shortly after her battle with the Shadow Devourer. The change in time was too fast. Looking at it from another angle, this place was already very close to the core of the Eternal Staircase. The mental pollution was getting stronger and stronger, and Erza's mental pollution was getting stronger and stronger. Lusa is in a trial, and her mind and spirit are already under a huge burden...

Griffith thought for a moment, then pulled out Judgment with his backhand!

The spiritual energy of the War Knight is resonating, as fierce and majestic as the fire of judgment, burning away all darkness! Erza, who was under the gun, felt as if she were in the vast starry sky, lost in the endless black hole whirlpool.

This indescribably majestic realm quickly collapses reality like a whale sucking water, almost swallowing all life and souls into it, and both the enemy and ourselves are frightened and imprisoned.

Convicted, sure to win!
  Griffith sensed the shot was more powerful than ever.

The adamantine bullet penetrated Erza's shoulder with overwhelming pressure. At this moment, she even had the feeling that she had been deprived of all mysteries, and that what happened next would be impossible to resist or dodge!
  This dark premonition was shared by Aaron and Commodus. The two of them seized the opportunity and struck with all their strength at the same time.

Aaron raised his wand high, and a bright and bizarre beam of light was projected in the air. Erza was bathed in this beam of light, and her whole body began to be eaten away and destroyed bit by bit. As the light beam becomes brighter and brighter, the terrifying aura of destruction is about to turn into reality! This beam of destruction is clearly a glimpse of some kind of being peeking into reality. The abyss of the void opens its huge mouth, and when it looks at it, it begins to count down to the inescapable destruction! The sun and moon emblems and sacred words on the Enduil Holy Sword in Commodus' hand immediately burst into golden glare, intensifying at an alarming speed.

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (How luscious to die for your country)!”

The beam of this sword shook the earth, and even gave people a feeling of time and space being reversed - it was the sword light that hit the prey first, and then Commodus swung the holy sword.

The powers of Aaron and Commodus collided together, and the earth-shattering roar made the entire underground world move. The psychic energy exploded, forming a soundless and silent void, in which all life was stripped away.

……

Erza, who was hit directly, disappeared. There was only a shockingly large crater where she stood. Blood orchids everywhere were uprooted by the storm, flying in the aftermath of the strong wind.

"Kill her," Aaron said expressionlessly, "Her power will be shared with us. We are one step closer to the final victory."

Hearing his confident judgment, Xin Sati and the people present still couldn't believe it.

"No one can survive such power." Commodus shook his wrist, as if looking for new power. "This battle will also severely damage the eternal staircase. It projects so much power into reality. As a person in front of the throne, The Third Guardian. Now, its power and guardian are shattered by us."

Griffith silently packed up his weapon and put the sword back into its sheath. Aaron glanced at it, walked over and patted him on the shoulder:
  "The battle just now did not cause us to be punished by the contract. You should understand that Erza Valkyrie's personality has... don't be bound by the memory of the past. Miracles are waiting for us."

Fallen leaves and flying flowers are passing by. The violent wind of the explosion did not weaken, and the roar became more intense.

"A miracle?" Griffith took out a bottle of potion to replenish physical strength and drank it in one gulp. "How do you know what kind of miracle is waiting for us?"

"I explored the ancient secret realm, and the clues there outline the truth of the world," Aaron said. "I have the blessing of fate, which constantly verifies my conjectures in obscure words."

Griffith took out a bottle of psychic strengthening potion, drank it slowly, and took a deep look at Aaron: "What if this guidance of fate was intentional? Or has the price of this protection already been marked? "

The words stung Aaron. His eyes became sharp:
  "What do you want to say? Griffith, if you have any views on ancient gods, fate and miracles, you might as well say it directly."

"What is a miracle?" Griffith reached out his hand and caught a falling petal. He rubbed it gently with his fingers, and the delicate petals left only scarlet ashes and flew away in the wind. Griffith seemed to be saying to himself:

"Resurrection from the dead is a miracle."

Aaron opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But as he spoke, an invisible hand grabbed his throat. Premonitions and intuitions turned into awakening that filled his eyes.

"Look, what is that!?"

Someone shouted.

The blood orchids in the entire square were uprooted and shot into the sky like flames in the whirlwind. There, a giant bud appeared!
  The flower buds are wrapped in layers of leaves that are almost like plants, but when people's eyes come into contact with them. There was actually a feeling of temporary blindness, just like the dazzling dizziness of looking directly at the sun.

The pulse, a slight, gradually expanding pulse, resonates in the hearts of everyone on the ground, getting stronger and stronger!

You can vaguely see the inside of the light ball, and there is a graceful woman inside.

This flower bud fell towards the ground, not very fast, but like falling stars, it was thrilling. The moment it landed, the petals bloomed layer by layer, rolling up little bits of scarlet dust, which vaporized in the wind.

"Hell, I finally know why Rorschach escaped..." Belia trembled with trembling lips and murmured with a pale face, "Aaron, we were plotted."

First, a flash of light flashed over Belia. When a suppressed buzz came from the air, her upper body tilted and slowly slid down from her waist.